(Asiad) Inaugural men's teqball champion thanks mother for sacrifice

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- Lee Jun-suk, the inaugural winner of the men's singles teqball event at the Asian Games in Nagoya, credits his mother for his success. The 27-year-old defeated Ali Jalil Mezher Alelayawi of Iraq 2-0 (12-11, 12-5) in the final at Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center. Teqball, a sport blending football, table tennis, and sepaktakraw, made its debut at the Asian Games.

Before his football career ended, Lee played in the fourth division in South Korea. Afterward, he worked at LG Electronics and, after securing permanent employment in February, quit his job to focus on teqball. His mother, Yoon Soon-jeong, watched him win the gold in person and expressed her unwavering trust in him. Lee's mother spent a significant amount of money to buy him a teqball table for training.

Though she initially doubted his ability to reach the final, she cancelled her return flight home. Lee, who initially lost a set during the final, rallied to win the first set and secure his gold medal. He raised his voice for added emphasis and control during the competition, confident in his victory.